Golden State wins first WNBA title in franchise history

The Golden State Valkyries claimed their first WNBA title this past weekend, marking a significant milestone in their franchise's short history. The championship victory came in a thrilling Game 7, where they defeated the Atlanta Dream with a final score of 68-63. Star player Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 30 points, accompanied by 4 blocks and 3 steals in 38 minutes of play. Williams had previously dismissed doubts about the team's stars and talent, asserting, "Yeah right. We got good people. We got winners."

For the Atlanta Dream, the championship run was their first in a Game 7, with key player Angel Reese struggling to find her form, finishing with 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting. The Dream had dominated the previous two games, with Reese scoring 30 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2 and 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3. However, the Valkyries managed to wrestle control of the series away from the Dream in subsequent games.

This victory marked the first title for the Valkyries, who were just in their second season as a team. The Atlanta Dream, on the other hand, now find themselves winless in four WNBA Finals appearances. The 2026 season was a resounding success for the WNBA, with a new attendance record of 3.8 million fans attending 330 regular season games.

Average attendance increased by 21% from the previous year's record high, and ESPN, ABC, and CBS delivered their most-watched seasons in history. The Valkyries' surprising success, despite having only one All-Star, demonstrated their rapid rise in the league.